Well, I missed last week’s roundup because Covid finally got me (and my daughter). We tested positive on July 26. She had exactly zero symptoms and was bouncing off the walls during quarantine, while I felt like I had a bad cold with extreme fatigue (aka mild Covid, relatively speaking). I’m grateful I didn’t have it worse because I’m not sure how I would have taken care of my daughter. I’m STILL testing positive as of today, but I feel about 90% better. I had a beer with dinner last night and went for a short, easy run this morning, so things are nearing normal-ish. Let’s get into it…
Quote of the week:
“I do not like the idea of happiness — it is too momentary. I would say that I was always busy and interested in something — interest has more meaning to me than the idea of happiness.” –Georgia O’Keefe
What I’m reading:
I have read some GREAT books last week and this week, including Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (this one makes my top 20 of all time), Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny (very enjoyable), and After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid (not my favorite of hers, but still good). I’m also making my way through The Path to Kindness: Poems of Connection and Joy, edited by James Crews, which was a gift from my lovely friend.
What I’m listening to:
I just finished Like a House on Fire by Lauren McBrayer, which I really liked. I’m now listening to The Long Answer by Anna Hogeland.
What I’m watching:
Absolutely nothing, aside from Stephen Colbert’s opening segment on The Late Show. I’ve had no time for shows.
Writing news:
The only writing-related news I have is that my dear old laptop died. I used this laptop to write every single one of my books. It’s the end of an era (and the beginning of a new one!).
What I’m talking about:
- The recession question. Are we in one? US employers added 528,000 jobs in July and unemployment dropped to 3.5%, so that’s hopeful
- China’s anger about Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Can we just chill out on the global hostilities for a hot second? I’m not prepared for more war
- Kansas voters coming out in support of keeping abortion legal (59% to 41%). Even in a very red state, the majority of voters support choice. This goes to show how rogue the Supreme Court has become
- Joe Manchin changing his mind on the big climate bill. It will now move forward in the Senate tomorrow. All 50 Democratic senators will need to vote for the bill in order for it to pass, with a tie-breaking vote from Kamala Harris. This would be HUGE
- San Clemente’s City Council meeting to consider banning abortion within city limits. I live one city away from San Clemente and this is ridiculous. It’s really the work of one extreme person and won’t pass, but a bunch of us are showing up to protest regardless
- The death of Vin Scully. I watched and listened to a lot of Dodgers baseball growing up. Vin Scully’s calm, soothing voice will be forever etched in my memory
Interesting things I learned this week:
- The global population will hit 8 billion this year
- It would take FIVE earths to to support the world’s population if everyone’s consumption patterns were like the average American’s
- In 1960, the divorce rate was 9.2%. It peaked in 1980 at 22.6%, and has gradually declined ever since. By 2019, the divorce rate was 14.9%
- Californians are 25% less likely to die in a mass shooting. This is probably because our governor is tough on guns (he just signed 8 gun safety bills into law)
- In 2005, Americans sent an average of 460 text messages per year; today, the average person sends 50+ text messages PER DAY
- Earth had its shortest day ever recorded on June 29, with the day ending 1.59 milliseconds sooner than usual, according to the National Physical Laboratory in England
- Hawaii has no girls in juvenile detention
- The Tour de France will include women again for the first time since 1989
- Etiolation is the process of altering the natural development of a green plant by excluding sunlight; to make pale, to deprive of natural vigor, to make feeble
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Do ants sleep?” We have an ant farm at our house now, which has led to much googling about ants. Yes, they poop! And, yes, they sleep! Apparently, the average worker ant takes about 250 naps each day, with each one lasting just over a minute. That adds up to nearly 5 hours of sleep per day. Research also found that 80% of the ant workforce is awake and active at any one time.
What I’m grateful for:
- Nearing the end of this Covid ordeal. Even when it’s mild, it’s quite the ordeal, especially if you have young kids. I’m looking forward to the Omicron booster in September
- Returning to running. I had been training for a Half Marathon that’s later this month. I’m not sure I’ll still be able to do it, but we will see. I’m just happy to get back out there for now
- My daughter, who was such a champ during quarantine (even when she drove me crazy)
- DoorDash dinner deliveries, courtesy of my ex husband. We are decent friends at this point and I’m grateful for that
- Mood lifters from friends—flowers, funny affirmation cards, a book of poetry, lots of text messages
- BOOKS! I have felt absorbed in reading the past two weeks and it’s been a true comfort and joy
A few snapshots:
